Roasted Vegetables and Graziano Marinara Sauce over Creamy Polenta

Graziano Marinara Sauce is made by a local company using only the freshest ingredients and I was really excited to try it. And now that I have, I'm excited to use it in my kitchen again.

 Photo courtesy of Graziano Products

 About Graziano Products -
Over a century ago, the Graziano family immigrated from the small Italian town of Guardia Perticara in the province of Potenza. Establishing themselves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the young family was raised on the finest traditional Italian cooking. Over the years, friends and family alike have come to love the exceptional meals served from the Graziano kitchen. Graziano's founder, Thomas Graziano and his wife Jackie have continued the old world family tradition of enjoying home cooked meals every day of the week. They have maintained the classic integrity of the Graziano family recipes and they now look to share these delicacies with you. Chi mangia bene, Vive Bene!

When I got the sauce I fell in love with the packaging. The jar itself is rustic and screams home cooking, and the label is modern, bold, and perfectly simple. The two elements combine to make the perfect package.

Then you get a little closer to take a look at the sauce in the jar and you know how fresh it is. You can see the chunks of tomatoes and pieces of garlic and I could not wait to get it home and open it to smell and taste it.

I planned my menu for our Sunday family dinner using the sauce as my inspiration. I wanted something simple so the sauce could shine, yet comforting and rustic so I decided to roast vegetables and serve them in the sauce over creamy polenta (recipe follows at the end of this post). From looking at the jar I knew this sauce would give me the texture and consistency I wanted, and it did. And unlike every other jar of sauce I have ever tried, Graziano Marinara doesn't need any sort of "doctoring up."

This sauce is not your typical jarred sauce, but rather home cooking in a jar. The sauce looks and tastes of the freshest ingredients and it has the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. You can taste all of the ingredients with none of them dominating the tomato flavor. The texture is exactly what I want in a good marinara sauce - the chunks of tomato let you know those are real tomatoes!

If you are looking for the perfect jar of marinara sauce, try Graziano Marinara. If you want to make a quick Italian meal that will taste like you cooked all day, use Graziano Marinara sauce. And even if you like making your own sauce sometimes you just don't have the time, right? This sauce will be the one  you can turn to in those situations. I know that I will definitely be cooking with this again, and soon!

To buy Graziano Marinara sauce locally you can purchase it at these stores:
   Olive Oil Etc., Doylestown Food Co-op, Del Val Market and None Such Farms in Doylestown, PA
   Tredici Market in Wayne Pa 
   Luigi and Giovanni's Market in Newtown Square
Coming soon - Graziano's Fra Diavolo will be available at Suzies Hot Shope in New Hope, PA very shortly.

Additionally, you can buy it online at www.grazianoproducts.com and have it shipped to you. You can follow them on Facebook - Graziano Products, LLC - and Instagram - @GrazianoProducts.  Finally, to meet the people behind this brand, I suggest you check out a great event being held in Doylestown, PA on February 26 - the Locavore. Details here.

Roasted Vegetables and Graziano Marinara Sauce over Creamy Polenta

Ingredients

• 1/2 red pepper cut into 3 slices
• 1/2 bulb of garlic separated into cloves and gently crushed
• 1 sm zucchini, halved
• 1 sm yellow squash, halved
• 1 sm eggplant, halved
• Handful of sliced mushrooms (crimini or baby bella)
• Olive oil (I like using my oil mister for spraying the veggies)
• 1.5 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c whole milk
• 1/2 c stone ground yellow cornmeal
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place veggies on a baking sheet and gently mist with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Slice everything into bite sized pieces.
• Put sauce in an oven safe sauté pan and gently heat. Stir in the veggies.
• Optional: top with freshly grated Parmesan and put the pan under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
• While the veggies are roasting, make the polenta: Add chicken broth and milk to a medium pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and very slowly stir in the cornmeal - take your time to add it slowly and continuously stir so you don't get lumps. Continue to stir until you have a thick and creamy polenta. Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
• Put polenta on a plate or in a flat bowl and top with the veggie-marinara mixture.  

Reviewers note: Graziano Products supplied me with a jar of sauce for the purpose of this recipe and review.

     

Polenta with Gorgonzola and Sage

Polenta is so easy to make. I have had a tube of premade polenta in my fridge for a while (hmm, that long shelf life kind of worries me...) and I have been ignoring it because I'd rather make the real thing. Like this one that I made last time - Roasted Garlic Polenta.

Last week I picked up a pre-made crabcake for myself (I know, I know, but hey, I'm almost 8 months pregnant and felt like something easy and surprisingly, it was really good!!). I decided to make sauteed spinach and polenta as sides. For the polenta, I added the flavors of fresh sage and gorgonzola cheese.

Ingredients

• 3/4 c stoneground yellow cornmeal
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
• 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• Approximately 1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• If needed, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Bring liquid to a boil
• Add sage, then slowly start to whisk in the cornmeal. Continue to whisk until it thickens but is creamy, and pulls away from the sides of your pot - about 12 minutes.
• Add cheese and continue to whisk
• Season with salt and pepper if needed (I only used freshly ground black pepper, about 2-3 turns of the pepper mill)

The gorgonzola and sage couldn't have been better together. And look how creamy this is - yum!!!

Chicken with a Spinach-Tomato Ragout over Roasted Garlic Polenta

I was craving polenta today - actually I have been for about a week but tonight I was craving it AND I felt like cooking. I had a tube of Trader Joe's polenta, but I wanted creamy polenta so decided to make it from scratch. I have made it several times and love trying new ingredients and flavors in the polenta. Besides the almost constant whisking, it's not hard.

I love rustic chicken dishes served over polenta but can never do that when Jon is home, so I took advantage of him being at a work dinner tonight and made this for myself.

The Polenta - Roasted Garlic with Gruyere

• 3 cups liquid; I used 2 c vegetable broth and 1 c water
• 1/2 bulb roasted garlic, mashed and combined with the liquid
• Large pinch of thyme
• 3/4 c stoneground yellow cornmeal
• Approximately 1/3 c shredded gruyere cheese

Bring the liquid/garlic mixture to a boil. Season with thyme. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking continuously until creamy, about 12 minutes. Sometimes this takes longer (up to 18 minutes), but mine came together pretty quickly tonight. Whisk in the cheese.

Chicken with a Spinach Tomato Ragout - Ingredients

Note - I made this for just myself; double the ingredients for 2.

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded out just a bit
• Salt, pepper, paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a saute pan
• Season chicken liberally with salt, pepper, and paprika and add to pan. Cook 3 min per side or until golden brown.
• Add onions and garlic, saute 2 minutes. If your pan seems too dry, add a touch of broth.
• Add tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.
• Add spinach to the pan and let wilt down for a minute (I just threw it in on top and didn't stir it in).
• Add broth and bring to a simmer; let simmer until chicken is cooked through, just a few minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve over the polenta.

This turned out exactly how I had hoped - fragrant, flavorful, comforting, and rustic. And although I had 2 pans actively going at once and requiring attention, everything came together very quickly and easily.

Grilled Roasted-Garlic Polenta with Caramelized Onions

Polenta is something I made for the first time just a few months ago. I had tried the packaged polenta before, but knew homemade would be much, much better.

My first polenta dish was an

herbed polenta with tomato ragout, and on Mother's Day I made an appetizer of polenta tartlettes with different toppings. For tonight's dinner of Chicken in a White Wine Sauce with Lemon and Sage (see below post), I decided to make a roasted garlic polenta, and then grilled it and topped with caramelized onions.

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Ingredients

• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 bulb roasted garlic, mashed to a paste
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• A few dashes each salt and pepper

Directions

• Roast the garlic - cut off the top of the bulb and top with olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake on 450 for about 30 minutes, or until soft. Let cool, then squeeze each clove into a bowl. Mash to a paste with a fork. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a pot.
• Add shallots and saute 1-2 minutes.
• Add broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to medium/medium low and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Keep whisking as you add the cornmeal, and continue to whisk for about 15 minutes until creamy and the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot.
• Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the garlic paste, cheese, and parsley.

You can eat the polenta like this, but I let it set up overnight so I could grill it tonight. If you choose the latter option, spray a pie plate or casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour the polenta into the dish and smooth the top. Cover and put in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

When we were making dinner tonight, I sliced the polenta like a pie (it was in a round pie dish). My mom heated the grill, coated it with olive oil spray, and then added the slices of polenta. We cooked the polenta for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it was warm and we had nice grill marks.

To serve, we topped each piece of polenta with caramelized onions (slice onions into thin rings, cook in a pan with butter and olive oil over medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. I also added a pinch of salt, sugar, and dried thyme). You could also add some fresh Parmesan and herbs as a topping.

Between three of us, we ate almost the entire pie of polenta! I love polenta, will never buy the premade stuff again, and I think now I'll always make it with roasted garlic, although I'm sure I'll find some other flavors to try. It's so versatile and could be served with so many things. When I had my second serving, I topped it with some of the white wine sauce from the chicken (see above post). It would also be great with a fresh tomato sauce.

I have to get Jon to like polenta because I could eat it every day! It's tiring whisking over the hot stove for almost 20 minutes, but well worth it.

Appetizer - Polenta Tartlets

My sister and I decided to cook dinner for my mom on Mother's Day. She requested chicken picatta, and since it's a pretty simple dish, I decided to try a new appetizer. I can't cook for only 30 minutes on a Sunday!!

I love polenta, and so does my mom, and I have always wanted to try to make appetizers out of it. I have seen Food Network chefs such as Giada make tartlets with polenta, so I used that idea as inspiration.

My tartlets were 2-bite appetizers with different toppings - roasted tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan for one, and caramelized onions and brie for another.

I started with a basic herbed polenta. I have made a variety of this before (see this link), and today I did the following:

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• 3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sprig thyme, small leaves removed for use (discard stem)
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• Optional: shredded cheese, like Parmesan or Asiago

Directions

• Combine broth, garlic, thyme, and parsley in a pot; bring to a boil.
• Slowly whisk in cornmeal, and continue to whisk until it thickens and starts to separate from the edges of the pot.
• Add cheese, if desired.

At this point you could eat the polenta, chill it to harden, or bake it with other ingredients. In order to make the tartlets, you need to chill the polenta for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

To chill the polenta: transfer the polenta to a large baking dish or a cookie sheet with high edges. It should be about 1/2-3/4 inch deep, or more for larger tartlets. Chill, covered, for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Tartlet Toppings

I prepared these toppings while the polenta was cooling in the fridge.

Roasted tomato, garlic, and Parmesan: Mix chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil for about 20 minutes on 375. The amounts depend on how many tartlets you want to make. I used 5 campari tomatoes and 3 cloves of garlic for 8 small tarts and had a bit leftover.

Caramelized onion and brie: Heat some olive oil and butter in a pan. Add sliced onions (I used 1 onion) and stir over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Halfway through cooking, add a pinch each of salt and sugar

Assembling the tartlets...

• Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Once the polenta has hardened, cut it into small circles and transfer to the cookie sheet. I used a small glass to cut them, but a cookie cutter would have worked better.
• Once all of the circles have been cut, drizzle them slightly and quickly with olive oil.
• Top each with the toppings - for the tomato tartlet I started with a slice of fresh Parmesan cheese, then added the tomato/garlic mixture. I also added a pinch of shredded Parmesan on top. The onion tartlets started with a small piece of brie topped with the onion mixture.
• Here is how they looked before going into the oven:

• Bake the tartlets for about 8-10 minutes on 350.
• Once they were done I topped the tomato tartlets with a basil leaf, and the onion tartlets with a parsley leaf.
• And here is the final product:

Because I only had three hours to chill the polenta, they were still a bit soft. Even though they were soft, they were still so yummy and flavorful. I could have eaten just these for dinner! My dad even liked them, and he doesn't like polenta.

Next time I make these, and there will be a next time, I'll definitely make the polenta the day before so it has enough time to set.

Herbed Polenta with a Tomato Ragout

A few weeks ago I bought a package of stone ground cornmeal to make homemade polenta. Tonight I finally took on the challenge.

I found inspiration from this recipe for polenta and this idea for baking polenta. I read through them, combined a few ideas, thought about the ingredients I had on hand, and came up with this Herbed Polenta with a Tomato Ragout -

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth (you could use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 leaves of sage, minced
• 1 small sprig of thyme, minced
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese; I used a mix of white cheddar and asiago
• Ragout: 1 cup chopped tomatoes (I used 1 package of grape tomatoes), 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt

Directions

• Combine broth, herbs, garlic, and salt; bring to a boil
• Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, just a bit at a time.
• Lower heat to medium-low and continue to whisk until the polenta becomes thick and creamy and starts to pull away from the edges of the pan. This took about 18 minutes.

• In the meantime, heat olive oil in a pan. Add the ingredients for the ragout and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes. Set aside.

• Once the polenta is just about done, whisk in the cheese until creamy.
• Spoon half of the polenta into a baking dish. Top with the ragout and then spoon in the rest of the polenta. Top with just a bit of shredded cheese.
• Bake on 400 for 30-40 minutes - covered for the first half, uncovered for the rest - until golden brown.

I wish my blog had a "scratch-n-sniff" capability because it smells sooo good in here right now! Here is the finished product.
It was sooo yummy - one of the best things I have tasted in a while. My one wish is that it was a little firmer; I think I can achieve that next time by letting it cool in a pan to set for a bit before baking it. I served the polenta with a side of sauteed spinach - fresh baby spinach sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with some Kosher salt.

One word of advice - warm up your arms and be ready to get a workout from the constant whisking! I had just done an upper body workout so my arms were exhausted by the time I was done cooking. It was well worth it though and I'd do it again.

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic on a Bed of Spinach

Tomatoes. You know what that means - Jon must not be home for dinner tonight!

I had a package of polenta from Trader Joe's that I wanted to use (another thing Jon won't eat), so I made polenta topped with roasted tomatoes and garlic and put it on a bed of sauteed spinach

Roasting the Tomatoes
I quartered 2 tomatoes and put them in a baking dish with a few cloves of garlic, salt, and some olive oil. I roasted them in the oven on 400 for 15-20 minutes then removed the skins.

Putting it all together
I sliced my polenta into 1.5 inch thick pieces and placed them in a baking dish. I then topped each piece with some of the chopped, roasted tomatoes and garlic. I sprinkled each one with some Parmesan cheese and drizzled them with some oil left in the pan from the tomatoes. They went in the oven on 350 for about 5 minutes until heated through.

In the meantime I sauteed some spinach in olive oil just enough to wilt it - about 2 minutes. When the polenta was done I put a slice on top of the spinach. They were almost too pretty to eat!


If you make your own polenta, transfer it to a flat baking dish once it's done. Let it cool and then use any shape/size cookie cutter to remove pieces.

I think these would be a great appetizer for a dinner party. I'd plate each one as I did tonight, and then I'd drizzle some olive oil from the tomatoes around each plate.